Well over 3 weeks into the government shutdown, economists are eager for federal metrics that help paint a picture of our nation’s economy. To that end, the Labor Department brought back some workers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics to release the Consumer Price Index, or CPI. 10 days late, CNBC’s Rick Santelli, Nomura’s David Seif and Richard Bernstein Advisors’s Michael Contopoulos dig into the numbers and what they mean for the data-driven Federal Reserve. It’s the second-longest shutdown in U.S. history, and lawmakers like House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (D-New York) and Senator James Lankford (R-Oklahoma) are standing firm on their respective sides of the standoff. Both explain their perspectives on how the country can move forward. Plus, Target announced it would be laying off about 8% of its corporate workforce, and President Trump says he’s halted trade negotiations with Canada over an Ontario ad featuring President Ronald Reagan criticizing tariffs.

Rick Santelli - 17:09

David Seif & Michael Contopoulos - 19:29

Sen. James Lankford - 21:47

Rep. Hakeem Jeffries - 38:26

In this episode:

James Lankford, @SenatorLankford

Hakeem Jeffries, @RepJeffries

Rick Santelli, @RickSantelli

Joe Kernen, @JoeSquawk

Becky Quick, @BeckyQuick

Andrew Ross Sorkin, @andrewrsorkin

Katie Kramer, @Kramer_Katie

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Working through the Shutdown: The CPI Report 10/24/25

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